Mayor Alvin Brown: We need military aircraft built here

Tuesday

Jacksonville has a long history of supporting the military and its national security role.

Jacksonville is a city of nearly a million people where one of every four residents is either on active duty, is serving in the reserves, or is a proud veteran.

We are honored to host a military/veteran population of nearly 250,000 people in the Jacksonville community.

From the start, my administration has made military issues a top priority.

A cornerstone of my recently enacted reform of city government was elevating the city's military affairs director to a Cabinet-level post reporting to me.

Once City Council passed my reform plan, I quickly named retired two-star Adm. Victor Guillory to that position. The City Council unanimously approved his nomination.

Good news for JacksonvilleWhen the United States Air Force announced its selection of the A-29 Super Tucano for its Light Air Support Program, I proclaimed it to be great economic news for the City of Jacksonville.

This state-of-the-art light air support aircraft will be built here, initially creating 50 high-wage jobs and representing millions in economic investment.

I was extremely proud that Embraer, the plane's manufacturer as part of the Sierra Nevada Corp. team, had selected our city for this important effort.

This plane will play an integral role in completing our counterinsurgency mission in Afghanistan and in bringing our troops home safely and quickly.

It is further affirmation that Jacksonville is the most military and business-friendly city in the nation.

I am also proud that this effort is supporting U.S. manufacturing jobs and encouraging insourcing.

More than 70 companies from around the country will supply parts for the A-29 Super Tucano, directly supporting more than 1,200 additional jobs.

Embraer is investing millions of dollars in the development of a new military aircraft production facility in Jacksonville, creating new jobs in the process. This is in addition to the company's recently opened Global Business Jet Customer Center in Melbourne, which is creating 200 engineering and technical jobs.

This is exactly the type of investment that our city, state and nation need.

Investment held up by lawsuitUnfortunately, the investment that will happen here in Jacksonville is being held up by a lawsuit filed by the disqualified competitor for the Light Air Support contract.

Although the Air Force determined that the many deficiencies in their proposal amounted to a "technically unacceptable [proposal]" and resulted in an "unacceptable mission capability risk," that competitor is nevertheless using the courts and a public misinformation campaign to attempt to force the Air Force to rebid the contract.

One of their most egregious claims is that by selecting the A-29 Super Tucano - which, in contrast to the plane put forward by the competitor, happens to be a proven light air support aircraft in use by several militaries around the world - the United States is outsourcing jobs and our national security.

In fact, just the opposite is true. This aircraft will be built in the United States by American workers with component parts from more than 70 American companies.

It will create numerous direct and indirect American jobs and result in economic investment here in the U.S.

This aircraft also is the most technically capable, proven aircraft in its class. As I see it, we win all the way around.

The Air Force did the right thing - right for the American warfighter and right for the American taxpayer.

Now it is time for the losing bidder to do the right thing and allow the Air Force to move forward with this critical program and allow investments to be made and jobs to be created here.

Gov. Rick Scott and our Florida congressional delegation, along with many others, have been vocal advocates on behalf of this effort.

Rest assured, we will all continue to fight for what is right for our nation, our state and our community.

Alvin Brown,

Jacksonville mayor

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